The AASF is evolving from a program of projects to a coordinating entity that can support sustainability services across Australia’s agricultural sector. To support this transition, a formal consultation process was undertaken between December 2024 and March 2025. The process aimed to test key elements of the Framework project and gather stakeholder views on proposed governance models, enhancements to the Framework’s content, the future of the data ecosystem and the development of sustainability indicators.
Stakeholders strongly supported the need for the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF) to evolve into a more permanent and operational structure; however, views diverged on the appropriate governance model. Industry and farm groups favour maintaining strong industry leadership, while research and environmental stakeholders prefer independent or government-supported models to ensure scientific integrity and public trust.
There is agreement that the AASF must not duplicate existing sustainability frameworks but should add value by supporting consistency, data integration and market credibility. The development of indicators and a well-governed data ecosystem were also seen as essential for the AASF to deliver meaningful sustainability outcomes across the sector.
